BT buys more of Latin America

BT is buying itself a bigger footprint in the fast-growing Latin American market by purchasing network provider Comsat International.

BT says the acquisition will help it extend its 21st Century Network (21CN) services portfolio into the region.

Latin America is a major growth area for BT - it has a regional NOC in São Paulo, Brazil, and announced last November that it was expanding its MPLS network and more than doubling its number of employees in the region.

Comsat is its third acquisition there, following the purchases of Telexis Brasil from Fiat's telco arm last year, and of Infonet in 2004.

Although headquartered in the US, Comsat owns networks in 15 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and elsewhere in Central America. It also provides services in Turkey, and employs around 700 people.

The value of the Comsat deal was not disclosed, but is thought to be around £100m. BT said, in 2005, Comsat had assets of $145m and 2,000 customers in Latin America. ®